Well I've had 3 weeks of running a Linux distro (Zorin) and think I will go back to MS - Windows7.
Apart from the desire to use more than just Chrome, Thunderbird and Libre**
*, I've found noticeable drawbacks, and that's not just the Windows emulato r - it is chronically slow in loading and a total t****r when it comes to d ownloading photos from the SD card in the USB port.
There's also the fact that I do like my basic programs to have a bit of col our and friendliness to them - not just a geek white background.
***, I've found noticeable drawbacks, and that's not just the Windows emula tor - it is chronically slow in loading and a total t****r when it comes to downloading photos from the SD card in the USB port.
olour and friendliness to them - not just a geek white background.
There are 100s of linux distros to choose from. The above is like saying I dont like Win ME so will go back to 95.
Been using Ubuntu for a few years now and granted there are occasionally a few issues which need ironing out but Windows feels like a real drag when i'm now forced to use it.
Tried Ubuntu and mint, I must admit though that I'm sold on PClinux. There are loads of email and browser packages available.
The KDE desktop switched to classical style is brilliant. I run pclinux 64 on a fairly modest PC with no speed problems.
I have XP and at work we have Windows seven. Linux is up & running in no time compared to any Windows device I have access to. This was true for mint and Ubuntu also.
What's wrong with Thunderbird BTW? I use it in Windows and find it's spam handling is first rate. Of course Microsoft may have turned Outlook into something that's worth the effort these day's but I cannot see any reason to change from Thunderbird.
I use Firefox in Windows and Linux BTW.
Not sure why anyone would want to use a Windows emulator. Wine can take a bit of tweaking with some programs This one [Agent] being an example.
Likewise some documents can need a bit of reformatting using Libre office.
It can be easier to just reboot to Windows for some tasks.
Another plus point is that all the linux distros I have tried have made it very easy to keep a Windows partition allowing a quick Windows session if required.
Outlook was always a good product, but I suspect you meant Outlook Express, which is OK for email but has serious issues as a Newsreader.
It has now morphed into something called Windows Live Mail which is even worse as a Newsreader, to such a degree that Usenet functionality should have been withdrawn from it completely.
it appears that the default install dumps you into a 'guest session' mode with everything locked down, and the only means of escape via an obscure sequence.
Zorin is not a mainstream Linux distro. There might be a reason for that.
There's lots of distros out there - maybe another suits you or your hardware better. I'd suggest you don't stick too closely to the 'must be exactly like Windows' mindset (after all, neither is Windows 8) and try a few with an open mind.
For most things VirtualBox running Windows within Linux works well, I run an Access database and Epson scanner software this way. The only things I have found one needs 'real' Windows for are wierd phone and SatNav USB devices.
It can be messy now with UEF (is that the right abbreviation?).
I suppose you chose Zorin on the promise that it makes it easy for those moving from Windows to Linux. I suspect that, in reality, it does no such thing. It's merely to make linux look more Windows-like, but it isn't Windows and you mustn't be confused by appearances. Underneath it's a completely and utterly different system.
I've no experience of Zorin, but if it's like any other then you can change the appearance of just about anything - nothing has to have a "geek white background". :)
What Windows applications do you particularly want to run? Some run under Wine, others will run under something like VMware and others wont run but have similar applications available. I don't use Chrome or Thunderbird on here. I do tend to switch between Firefox and Opera though, with Pan for newsreading.
You comment about "chronically slow in loading". Are you running it from a live CD? I certainly don't find Mint particularly slow to load, although maybe Windows 8.1 might just have the edge now (I've not made a comparison on the same machine, so don't read too much into this). Likewise I have no problems with USB speed when accessing SD cards.
Thanks for giving Linux a try. Please don't be put off by your experiences with a rather obscure distribution. There will be a learning curve - that's to be expected - but you'll find far more help and support if you try something like Ubuntu or Mint (which is based on Ubuntu and, to my mind, far better for someone moving from Windows pre-8).
HI Mick (sorry for jumping in ..) Like Rob, I've been looking at Zorin - hoping to migrate away from WinXpPro - which is on all the pcs here.
I'm not a computer ignoramus, but I'm not familiar with linux - so (like Rob) I gave Zorin a try (it's Ubuntu 'underneath'). Generally - all installed OK - both on the laptop and on the desk pc.
Trouble started when I tried to get my favourite windows website design software running under Wine. Software is called WYSIWYG Web Builder - and, despite the rather 'noddy' title, it's very good, and is a 'must' for whatever o/s I end up with. It eventually installed, but I couldn't persuade it to create a text box that was any taller than one pixel in height - which kind of made it useless, for my purposes.
Sounds like you'd advocate trying a Mint distro - on the grounds that it's a bit more mainstream ?
Currently the PCs here are dual-boot XPPro & Zorin - presumably I could 'just' install Mint over Zorin ?
Yes, the zorin partition is formatted as part of the install. Usually the d istro's repository has linux software that'll do what you want - there are exceptions, but they're few. And yes, its best to use apps compiled for the OS found from its repository. Wine et al should be used as a last resort.
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